Trump relentlessly mocks Kasich: 'I have never seen a human being eat in such a disgusting fashion'

During a rally in Rhode Island, the Republican presidential frontrunner said that the Ohio governor should learn from Trump's children, whom Trump has urged to eat modest portions of food.

"Did you see him? He has a news conference all the time when he's eating. I have never seen a human being eat in such a disgusting fashion," Trump said of Kasich.

He continued: "I'd say, 'Children, small, little bites.' This guy takes a pancake and he's shoving it in his mouth. It's disgusting. Do you want this guy for your president?"

Trump's critical view of Kasich's eating comes less than a day after the governor announced an alliance with Sen. Ted Cruz to consolidate anti-Trump voters in the remaining primary states. Kasich canceled campaign events in Indiana, where public polling shows that Cruz could take home a portion of the delegates, while Cruz has promised not to seriously campaign in Oregon and New Mexico.

After a brief detour in which he criticized Kasich's support for the North American Free Trade Agreement in the 1990s, Trump returned to insulting Kasich's eating habits.

"I've never seen a guy eat like this," Trump said.

Kasich has recently made headlines for his healthy appetite at campaign stops, scheduling press availabilities during appearances at delis and diners. On Monday, he discussed his anti-Trump alliance with Cruz during a campaign stop at a Philadelphia diner.

Though Trump repeatedly opined about Kasich's consumption of food, the real-estate magnate appeared to take liberties with Kasich's actual diet. Kasich's chief strategist, John Weaver, told Business Insider in an email that he "didn't see any pancakes" at Kasich's Monday diner stop.